Cooker



`L. D. RICKER.

COOKER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I9. 1919.

Patented Dec. 5, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2 L. D. RICKER. (:ooKERI .I .1 nella. 1,438, 1 37, Patented. Dec. 5, 1922.

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Ll D. RICKER.

cooKER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I9. I9I9. 1,438,137, 'Patented D60- 5,1922.

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1...,... ,w f.. i dit" LESLIE D. Bienne, or GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO.`

COOKER.

Application filed September 19, 1919. Serial No. 324,842.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it `known that l, LESLIE D. RICKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Junction, in the county of Mesa and State of Colorado, have invented new and luseful Improvements in Cookers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a cooker, and one object is to provide an apparatus by the use of which many kinds of food may be prepared at one time, in the manner bestsuited to the particular articles, provision being made fora large number of persons. A further object is to provide forcooking l5 by dry heat and by steam'in the same apparatus and'at the same time.

A still further object is to provide an apparatus which shall include a heat insulated casing, a heating element, a lower oven, a

boiler of special construction above the oven andV designed for receiving several articles at one time, an upper oven and a live steam cooker on the upper portion of the device, also adapted to receive a number of different articles in separate compartments.

1With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of elements hereinafter described and claimed.

In ythe drawings,

Figure 1 is a view in vertical section,

Figure 2 is a vertical section from an other angle, with plate omitted.

Figure 3 is a transverse section.

Figure 4 is a detail, in elevation, of a device for elevating the receptacles from the casing.

Figure 5 is a detail in vertical section of y the upper portion'of the casing, with the shelves and double boiler removed.

Figure 6 is a detail of a hinged sill used between the doors.

Figure 7 shows a water gage for the double boiler.

Figure 8 is a top plan-view of one of the plates 68 of the upper chamber, the view showing the annular space 67 around the plate, to permit of the passage of steam emerging from perforated tube 77. y

The outer casing or shell is shown at 10 and is preferably of sheet steel, an inner wall for the casing being designated 14, `and a heat insulating packing being shownl at 12. Within `the lower portion of the 'shell or casing thus formed is a fire-box, the dou blewalls of which are formed ofhard tire4 clay, the walls being designated 15 and 16;

Within the fire boX is a burner 17 having connection with the supply pipe, 18, a cut olf valve being shown at 19. A coil 20 within the fire-box is adapted for connection with a source of water supply.

The walls. 22 are spaced from the walls 12 29 which may be oftile, these shelves being f retained upon supports` 30, permitting the shelves to be shifted from onev location-t0` another,vor permitting certain ofthem to be withdrawn, if desired. A lower heat absorbing tile 31 is mounted-on supporting ribs or flanges 32 and above-the fire boX. This tile 31 is provided with a pluralityof apertures which may be closed by plugs 33,l

thev plugs being removable, when `it is def.

sired to permit the heat units toy pass thru the tiles to the oven. A plate 35 of non-conducting material may be placed above the tile 31 when it is desired to modify the temperature by the kuse of `this device. A similar plate 36l of non-conducting materialmay be used below the upper, oven,to be described below.

Above the oven 28 is a boiler 40 of special construction and comprising a plurality of f4 separate compartmens. if desired, in order that various articles of food may be cooked at one time therein. This device is of the ,double boiler type. `Inlet and outlet pipes are detachable and are connected with the outer fluid compartment ofthe boiler as shown at 42 and 43. The boiler as a whole is mounted on wheels 44 operating on tracks 45 permitting of the removal of the boiler by withdrawing the latter laterally from the apn paratus, any suitable supporting meansexterior of the apparatus being provided. f

The upper oven 47 is supplied` with shelves 48, retained in position by, supportingV devices 49, similar to those employed by the ,l loweroven. vThe packing material before cooker.

referred to as being located between the inner and outer walls of the main casing eX- tends over the top of the upper oven.

The walls of the main casing are provided with a plurality of doors each swinging on a vertical axis and having bevelled edges, in order to provide a "substantially air tight fit. Swinging sills 50 are located as shown and permit unobstructed access to the interior.

The live steam cooker at the top of the apparatus includes a base 55 lprovided with flanges 56 projecting upwardly therefrom, andfianfges 57, sliitwed as indicated yand provided with gaskets 58, receiving the walls 59 'and 59 of the upper structure @Oconstituting th'e 'housing of the 'lilv'e steam, rllhis structure 60 is divided into a plurality oi' compartments 61 in which are located racks or casings 62 for the reception of food to be cooked. 'i he casings `are removable and are formed with sheet meta-l walls 63 and a perforated metal top 64. rThe lower portion of the casings are open for the admission of steam. rlhe doors are designated 65. 'f

'Between the flanged .portions 56 of the base, and the openings vprovid'ec'l between these danges, are plates 88 providing an annular space '67 around the plates 68, thru which steam 'passes tothe compartments for fheati'n'g the food, passing thence vthrough the shelves 69 of wire mesh and out thru openings in the top closed by ineans ot valves 70.` rlhese are spring held valves and are adjusted 'to' operate under a vvpressure slightly less than vthe steain pressure einployed. rllhe steam passes thence into the space between 'the walls 59 and 59. rlhe Water of condensation be coi'iveyed in any suitable niannerto the separator 73. The main steam 'inlet-pipe 'fo'r the steam cooking device designated at Tl, and the branches conduct steam to the connection 76 and thence thru 'the perforated tubes 77 vthe steam passing finto 'chambers 78 and thru annular openings 67, into the cooking coinpartrnents. Plates t8 are mounted on the perforated 'tube just mentioned.

"A smoke flue is closed by a weighted cover8'1 and iperinits oi"- the escape of productsof'coinbustion, the weighted portionbeing 'suHicient to permit the cover to open under 4very slis it pressure and to close automatically. irofoks 83 'and 8s are provided respectivelyon the upper structure and on vthe uiain casingo'r shell and links 85 engaging;`

the'hooks are under the'co'ntrol ot cam levers 85, permitting the Walls of the uppei` structure to be pressed down vtightly on the gaskets before mentioned vin order to effect a 'substantially steam vtight connection.

in upper frame Work comprises vertical supports andfa transverse element or elcments 91 mounting pulleys 92 over which .ber of individuals.

iieXible devices pass from the counterbalancing weights 93 and 9%, one end of each flexible device being connected with a ring; niemberor hook 95 on the upper casing.

Any inconvenience arising 'from weight. oit.' the steam cooker proper is thereby avoided, and it should be added that the vcooker last named may be removed from the balance of the apparatus when space or `other conditions render such course desi rable.

A crane 98 mounts .pullevs 99 and accommodates a sinfall cable or other flexible :de vice connecting with a winding` apparatus 100. The cable is provided with "a hook 101 at its free end, this apparatus being used for any purpose desired, such as lremoving the entire double boiler 40 with its contents, it being understood that the apparatus may be oi `suthcient `capacity to supply large num'- rlhe double boiler ycan be .kept Ihot when Yremoved by means of circulation thru :pipes 42 and 413, the circulating fluid being provided by any suitable source. lWhen this 'boiler is removed all of the space between the lire box and the upper wall of the main casing lrnay be utilized as an oven. ln` Figure '51a series of hooks 103 .is shown ioi` use in suspending articles lbeing cooked, Vor `receptacles containing 'those articles. V

il bracket 105 on the outer port-ion oic the casing will serve to support a motor, and. a bushing 106 lis provided 'in the wall 'oi the casing for the accommodation oi? a vsha-ft '107. This sh ait liliv is 'for use in 'driving afl'e ib'le shaft for operating 'stirring devices tor the double boiler, in the event 'such devices are employed. They do `not -i'orni part ot' the invention covered bythe presentapplication.

lt will be observed that different temperatures may be .inaii'itained `at the saline time in various portions of thecooking dev'icegth'c're by making it possible to cook a large 'variety ol articles of `food. The lower voven isdevvv signed for roasting, frying, broilfiing and the like, and it may be 'remarked that the tile shelving may be more quickly heated by placingthe individual rshelves directly over the lowertile 31', the plugs 33 beingremoved ii desired. 'Pans for baking or frying Imay be vsiuop'orted directly o`n 'the inwardly prothe .ecting` guide or supporting devicesBO, andf'an tion. A water guage 110 is employed in connection with the double boiler 4:0, and means for indicating the temperature in the various compartments of the entire apparatus may be of course provided.

1. In a cooker, a casing comprising inner and outer walls and insulating material therebetween, a fire-box in the lower portion of the casing, a heating element therein, an oven located above the fire-box, a cooking utensil above the oven, a cooking device located above the casing and including a plurality of compartments, a chamber being provided below said compartments, a heating coil within the fire-box, and a pipe for conducting steam from the coil into the plurality of compartments through the chamber below the compartments.

2. In a cooker, a heat insulated casing, a fire-box in the lower portion thereof, a heating element within the fire-box, a chamber within the casing and having walls spaced from the walls of the casing, means for effecting and cutting off communication between the space and the fireboX, an independent cooking apparatus within the middle portion of the casing, for receiving articles to be cooked in water, an oven within the upper portion of the casing, an additional cooking apparatus above the cas-` ing, and means for supplying steam theretoy from the heating element in said fire-box.

3. In a cooker, a main casing having heat insulated walls provided with openings in the sides thereof, closures for said openings, hinged sills between the openings, an inner chamber having walls spaced from the walls of the casing, cooking compartments within the chamber, one of which is removable through the openings in the walls, and means for conducting a heating Huid to the compartment last named.

4. In a cooker, a main casing having heat insulated walls, a chamber within said casing and having walls spaced from the walls i said means being removable, and a separate element of non-conducting material adapted to be placed above the heat absorbing element when it is desired to modify the tem-l perature.

. 5. In a device of the class described, a main casing and meansfor vheating the interior thereof, an independent cooking apparatus on the upper portion of the main casing and including a plurality of separate compartments each provided with a steam inlet, perforated tubular membershaving communication with the inlets, va plate member mounted on each tubular member, thebottom of each compartment having an opening the edges of which are spaced from the edge of the plate forthe admission o f steamto the compartment,'and pressure controlled means governing the escape of steam from the compartment.

6. A cooker comprising a basehaving upwardly extending `flanges thereon, a remove able casing rmounted on the base and including separate compartments having walls spaced from the walls of the casingand the top of leach compartment being spaced from the oven, .means for closing the apertures, 'y

the top of the casing, means for admitting` steam to each compartment separately and controlling its ypassage therethrough t0 the space between the walls, said walls being in contact with the lflanges of the base, said means for admitting steam including a circular plate and a member surrounding the plate and spaced therefrom to provide an annular discharge opening,

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature..

LESLIE D. RICKER. 

